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James 4:8 (NKJV)
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
When we draw near to God, we bring ourselves to God. And as James 4:8 tells us, when we draw near to God, God will draw near to us. We get to be surrounded by the peace found in God’s presence. We get to be held in God’s loving embrace.
We need not ever fear that God does not want us to be with Him. Or that God does not want to hear from us. God knows we have needs. And God wants us to seek Him for help. Isaiah 65:24 (NIV) assures: Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we have access to God at any time. Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV) states: Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
When we come to spend quality time with God, we should come with a heart that genuinely wants to seek God. Hebrews 10:22 (NKJV) states: let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. While we may be able to hide our true motives from others, all of us is exposed before God. Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT) states: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” To answer that question: God knows! God is the only one who knows the depths of our heart.
When we set aside time to draw near to God, our heart’s one desire is to be with God. Just for the sake of being with God. Psalm 42:1-2 (NIV) states: As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? Despite the demands of life, the longing in our heart should be constantly tugging. Asking us: When can I go and meet with God?
The things of this world – like money, material possessions, and popularity – can make us feel happy. They can make us feel like we are complete. But try as we like, the things of this world will never truly satisfy the believer. The deep longing of the believer’s heart can only be filled by God.
The more we draw near to God, the more we never want to be separated from God. That is because the more we pursue God, we more we experience the truth that we are safe and secure in God. That we can put our entire trust in God. Psalm 73:28 (NKJV) states: But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your works.
No one and nothing in this world can compare to God. No one and nothing in this world can take the place of God. And nothing ever will.
Psalm 84:1-2 (NIV) states: How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Except where indicated, scripture references are from the American Standard Version (ASV), Darby Translation (DARBY), or King James Version (KJV) – all public domains.
